From The Watch (Western San Juan Mountains):  MONTROSE – Other than Montrose County’s response calling the action “groundless,” “vexatious” and “frivolous,” the lawsuit filed under the Colorado Open Records Act by Black Canyon Partners, operator of the Black Canyon Jet Center, has, so far, elicited few details or documents surrounding the recent Request for Proposals process for a second Fixed-Base Operator at Montrose Regional Airport.

The lawsuit, in which Jet Center Partners and Black Canyon Jet Center General Manager Ken Watson are named as plaintiffs, seeks to show cause as to why public records that Jet Center Partners requested during the FBO review process have not been made available. In addition, the complaint seeks a declaratory judgment that the Montrose County Commissioners violated Colorado’s Open Meetings Laws by adopting a position (allegedly engaging in negotiations with private parties interested in becoming a FBO and then authorizing the issuance of an RFP to initiate those negotiations) outside of a public meeting.

On Feb. 15, Denver-based attorney Bobbee Musgrave, who is representing the county in the civil complaint, issued a formal response to the allegations denying that the nine Montrose County officials named as defendants in the case improperly withheld the proposals submitted during the RFP review process because they are not public records. Musgrave asked that the court dismiss all claims brought by the Jet Center Partners and Watson.

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